Sentenced to death 2 defendants with 'heavy' criminal records, trafficking large amounts of 'white goods'

On October 26, at the People's Court of Nghe An province, the High People's Court in Hanoi opened a criminal appeal trial of defendants Nguyen Doan Huan (born 1969), residing in Thanh Khai commune, Thanh Chuong district, Nghe An and Nguyen Phu Nghien (born 1968), residing in Xuan Tao ward, Bac Tu Liem district, Hanoi for the crime of "Illegal drug trafficking".

Both defendants have served time in prison for various crimes. Huan has been imprisoned twice for gambling and illegal possession of drugs, while Nghien has four previous convictions for crimes related to drugs and gambling.

Two defendants being escorted to court. Photo: Tran Vu

According to the indictment, in early June 2019, Huan told Nghien that he had a drug dealer in Laos. On the afternoon of July 7, 2019, Nghien asked Huan to buy 1 heroin cake and 1 kg of crystal meth. The two agreed on a price of 190 million VND for 1 heroin cake and 250 million VND for 1 kg of crystal meth. Nghien then transferred 350 million VND in advance, and asked for a debt deferral for the remaining amount.

On July 8, 2019, Nghien hired a car to take Huan to milestone 23, the road to Cau Treo Border Gate, Huong Son district (Ha Tinh) to receive 1 package of Methamphetamine (991.36 grams) and 2 heroin cakes (706.16 grams).

At about 11:45 p.m. on July 9, 2019, on the way back to Hanoi, when arriving at Dien Ngoc commune, Dien Chau district, Nghien and Huan were caught red-handed by the police.physical evidenceis more than 1.6 kg of drugs.

The court of first instance sentenced Nguyen Doan Huan and Nguyen Phu Nghien to life in prison for illegal drug trafficking.

After the first instance verdict, the People's Procuracy of Nghe An province appealed to the High People's Court in Hanoi to consider the appeal in the direction of increasing the sentence for the two defendants from life imprisonment to death penalty because it believed that the prison sentences for the defendants were not commensurate with the nature, level and crime committed by the defendants.

At the appeal hearing, the appellate panel found that both defendants had been tried many times, committed dangerous recidivism, and had a large quantity of drugs. The Nghe An Provincial People's Court's sentence of life imprisonment to the defendants was not commensurate with the nature, extent, and criminal acts of the defendants, and did not have a deterrent, educational, and general preventive effect in the area.

Therefore, the appellate court accepted the appeal of the People's Procuracy of Nghe An province, amended the first instance judgment, and sentenced the two defendants Nguyen Doan Huan and Nguyen Phu Nghien to death for the crime of illegal drug trafficking.